G'Day all. Non Muso, but I needed a DIY project to build something. I found PBG and decided on a guitar. I have just received my STAF-1. All the parts are there, but it appears that I may have set my sights too high by going for a Licensed Floyd Rose Bridge. Been thru the Instruction Manual and You tube videos - it all seems very straightforward and very interesting however the Floyd Rose info is quite sketchy - I would appreciate any tips. Thanks.
G'day from FNQ, I have no experience with the Floyd, you will find several opinions on the internet, by all means, read those opinions but you have a way to go before you get to the point of setting up the Floyd.
Cliff
I built a floyd rose based guitar from scratch (apart from an ebay neck) and it is now my most often played guitar despite also having a Gibson ES339.
Looks like your kit should work well as the routing has all been done. I found the most critical thing to get correct in my build was the bridge position so that the strings could be intonated well.
I also didn't glue in the neck but used threaded inserts and bolts in case I had to shim the neck pocket.
Good luck with your build and ask any further questions. YouTube was very useful as a resource for me as there is a lot of information about Floyd Rose set-ups, tuning etc.
Hi and welcome.
Floyds may seem intimidating, but in reality they aren't that much more difficult to set up than a Strat trem. it really is like a 2-point STrat trem, with added string locking and the fine tuners.
One thing you will need that's missing from the kit is a string retainer bar. You don't need anything special and amazon/eBay devices are fine. e.g https://www.amazon.co.uk/Musiclily-G...56&sr=8-5&th=1
Why? Then read this: https://hazeguitars.com/blog/locking...bar-adjustment. It's a very cheap way to get the locking nut working correctly. It will also allow you to set up and tune the guitar before locking the nut, so those fine tuners can stay in their mid-position until needed.
My FR setting up method (other methods are available but I'm happy with this one):
The easiest way to set up a Floyd (IMO) is to get/make a suitable block/wedge of wood to block the movement of the trem (or even one for each side of the trem block). It needs to be set so that the base of the Floyd is parallel to the body (some similar Ibanez trems need a slight angle but these licensed Floyds should be parallel) If it's not flat in the rest position, then it won't return to tune when used as well. So set the wood wedge so that the trem base is flat. Put the fine tuners in an approximate mid-travel position (well that's my preference as you don't know whether you'll need to sharpen or flatten them later with temperature changes). Then you can fit the strings and get them in tune. Strectch them several times until they are stable. This should cut out most of the iterative process of trying to tune the strings with the trem springs in play, where tuning one string drops the tuning of another.
Now is probably the best time to adjust the post height to set the string action, though you don't want to be too far out at this point. Certainly not so low that the strings are resting on the board, or too high so there's a 1cm gap between board and strings on the top frets.
It's probably also a good time to set the intonation. as this will affect the tuning if the saddles are moved forwards or backwards.
Now fit the spring claw and attach the springs to the trem. I'd start out with 3 springs. The more springs you have, the greater the force necessary to move the trem, and the less likely resting your hand on the trem will affect the pitch. But big trem movements become harder work with more springs. It's all personal preference.
Add some tension to the springs by tightening the spring claw, then remove the wedge. If the tension is right, the base of the trem should stay flat. Too little and the back of the trem will lift up. To much and the back will be pulled down. If it's angled only by a small amount, then adjust the spring claw for more or less tension as necessary. if it's a big amount, then refit the wedge and adjust. I've found that beyond a certain deflection angle, the springs really struggle to pull the trem base back properly, so its best to do this manually if the angle is greater than 3° or so.
Finally you should have the Floyd base parallel with the body, and the guitar in tune. Now is probably the best time to adjust the post height to set the string action, though you don't want to be too far out at this point. Certainly not so low that the strings are resting on the board, or too high so there's a 1cm gap between board and strings on the top frets.
Then double check the trem angle and adjust the springs as necessary. Once the trem is flat, then recheck the tuning, and if all is fine, you can then lock the nut. After that, all tuning tweaks are done on the fine tuners until you run out of fine tuning adjustment, at which point its time to set them central, loosen the locking nut and tune with the tuners, then re-lock.
Good luck with your build.
Post pics, and don't be afraid to ask questions.
Thanks for the info Simon,Jim,Cliff. I am about to start the build, and will post progress reports
Cheers!
Very good advice. The more builds I do, the more I realise I still don't know what I'm doing and the more questions I ask. Remember that the journey is just as much fun as the destination. In fact, I tend to feel a little deflated when I finish a build and instead of spending time playing it, I'm usually online working out what my next build will be.Originally Posted by Simon Barden
Just following the instructions and now at the sanding stage. No hurry . I have decided to apply a dingobase stain even though the body does not have much of a grain in it. I agree with m0j0,, this could become addictive, already planning the next build (maybe a LP style) possibly followed by a bass! Cheers!
Glad you're progressing nicely. Whilst there are a few wrong ways to finish a guitar, there are no fixed right ways. At worst you'll get a nicely stained version of what you have already, but you may find that you get some enhancement of what's there, which would be a bonus.
Thanks Simon, still sanding - sanding!!!
Stain coats completed and 2 intensifying coats done on the body. 3 stain coats on the neck. No hurry - I have 4 other DIY projects on the go - so still a couple of weeks before we get to actually putting the guitar together and setting up the bridge/action/intonation etc. body will be bushfire sunrise, neck to be acacia. Finished product will probably look a bit odd!!
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